New York Lottery
The New York Lottery is the biggest and most profitable lottery in the country. In fiscal year 2018-19, the lottery contributed about $3.47 billion to support education in New York state. As a matter of fact, all of the revenue goes toward public education.
Apart from several popular in-house draw games, the New York Lottery also offers several multi-jurisdictional games: Powerball, Mega Millions and Cash4Life.
The lottery has been around since 1967, overseen by the New York State Gaming Commission. New York state law requires that players be at least 18 years old to take part in it. Still, some games, such as Quick Draw, are only allowed for players who are 21 and older, as the game is located in alcohol-serving areas.
If you’re interested in learning more about the NY lottery, you’ll find all the essential information on this page. We’ll discuss available games, drawing times, jackpots and more. Read on.
Buy NY lottery tickets online
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Does New York allow online lottery purchases?
The official New York Lottery site does not directly sell lottery tickets online. However, you can set up online subscriptions for three draw games – NY Lotto, Mega Millions, and Cash4Life – at the NY Lottery site.
Alternatively, you can sign up with a lottery courier service such as Jackpot.com, TheLotter, or Jackpocket.com. They are all fully licensed and regulated in New York, and they allow you to buy individual tickets for a wide range of draw games via their websites or their apps.
For example, Jackpocket allows you to buy tickets for eight draw games, including Powerball, Pick 10, Take 5, Win 4, and Numbers.
Simply select a game and choose your numbers, and a Jackpocket employee will then visit a licensed retailer and purchase your ticket. An image of the ticket will be uploaded on your account prior to the drawing.
Any winnings of less than $600 will be credited to your account, and your physical ticket will be sent to you via a courier if you secure a larger win. These online courier services are secure and highly convenient, but the only downside is that they require you to pay deposit fees of 7% to 15%.
New York Lottery weekly schedule
Some draw games take place on a daily basis, whereas others are only held on certain days of the week. This chart highlights the different lottery games that you can play in New York.
| Game | Drawing Frequency | Close Time (ET) | Draw Time (ET) |
| Powerball | Monday, Wednesday, Saturday | 10 p.m. | 10.59 p.m. |
| NY Lotto | Wednesday, Saturday | 8 p.m. | 8.15 p.m. |
| Mega Millions | Tuesday, Friday | 10 p.m. | 11 p.m. |
| Cash4Life | Daily | 8.45 p.m. | 9 p.m. |
| Numbers | Twice daily | 2.15 p.m., 10:20 p.m. | 2.30 p.m., 10.30 p.m. |
| Win 4 | Twice daily | 2.15 p.m., 10:20 p.m. | 2.30 p.m., 10.30 p.m. |
| Take 5 | Twice daily | 2.15 p.m., 10:20 p.m. | 2.30 p.m., 10.30 p.m. |
| Quick Draw | Daily | 4 a.m. | Every four minutes |
| Pick 10 | Daily | 8 p.m. | 8.30 p.m. |
Types of NY Lottery games
New Yorkers can play in-house draw games such as Win 4 and Take 5, along with multi-state games like Mega Millions. We have discussed the key features of each game below.
Mega Millions
Mega Millions is a multi-jurisdictional draw game that is offered in 45 states, plus the District of Columbia and the US Virgin Islands. Tickets cost $2 per play.
You can pick five numbers from 1 to 70 (white balls), and another number from 1-25 (the gold Mega Ball). To win the jackpot, you need to match all six winning numbers.
Your overall chances of winning a prize are 1 in 24. These are the different prizes, and the odds of success:
| Match | Prize | Odds |
| Five white balls plus gold ball | Jackpot | 1 in 302,575,350 |
| Five white balls | $1 million | 1 in 12,607,306 |
| Four white balls plus gold ball | $10,000 | 1 in 931,001 |
| Four white balls | $500 | 1 in 38,792 |
| Three white balls plus gold ball | $200 | 1 in 14,547 |
| Three white balls | $10 | 1 in 606 |
| Two white balls plus gold ball | $10 | 1 in 693 |
| White ball plus gold ball | $4 | 1 in 89 |
| Gold ball | $2 | 1 in 37 |
The jackpot starts at $20 million, but it increases with each drawing if nobody matches all six numbers. This jackpot will grow progressively larger until one player wins it. The largest jackpot in history was $1.602 billion, which a Florida player earned in August 2023.
Mega Millions began in 1996, when just six states participated. New Jersey became the seventh state to join, followed by New York and Ohio in May 2002.
Since then, New Yorkers have won the Mega Millions jackpot more times than players in any other state. There have been more than jackpot winners in New York. The current state record is held by Johnnie Taylor, a New Yorker who won $476 million from the Mega Millions drawing in April 2023.
Powerball
Powerball is another multi-jurisdiction lottery game, which is available in 45 states, plus the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the US Virgin Islands. New York joined Powerball in 2010, and the Empire State has sold more than 10 jackpot-winning tickets since then.
Tickets cost $2, and you can activate the Power Play option for an additional $1 per game. That will multiplier lower-tier winnings (less than $50,000) by up to 10x.
You need to select five numbers from 1 to 69 (white balls) and an additional number from 1 to 26 (Powerball). The overall odds of winning a prize are 1 in 24.87. These are the different prizes and the odds associated with winning them.
| Match | Prize | Odds |
| Five white balls plus Powerball | Grand prize | 1 in 292,201,338.00 |
| Five white balls | $1 million | 1 in 11,688,053.52 |
| Four white balls plus Powerball | $50,000 | 1 in 913,129.18 |
| Four white balls | $100 | 1 in 36,525.17 |
| Three white balls plus Powerball | $100 | 1 in 14,494.11 |
| Three white balls | $7 | 1 in 579.76 |
| Two white balls plus Powerball | $7 | 1 in 701.33 |
| White ball plus Powerball | $4 | 1 in 91.98 |
| Powerball | $4 | 1 in 38.32 |
Powerball offers the highest prize potential of any lottery drawing game in the United States. The grand prize starts at $40 million and grows progressively larger for subsequent drawings if nobody wins it. The record jackpot won so far is $2.1 billion, which went to a player in California back in 2022.
NY Lottery draw games
These draw games are all overseen by the New York Lottery, which is headquartered in Schenectady. Most of them are in-house draw games, which are reserved for players in New York only.
The only exception is Cash4Life. New York and New Jersey joined forces to create the game in 2014, but Cash4Life is now available in 10 states.
- Cash4Life: You must pick four numbers from 1 through 60 and an additional “Cash Ball” number from 1 through 4. Matching all five numbers will earn you $1,000 per day for the rest of your life, or $7 million in cash.
- New York Lotto: Choose six numbers from 1 to 59. You will win the NY Lotto jackpot by matching all six numbers, and the average jackpot is $10.5 million, according to the New York Lottery.
- Numbers: Select three numbers from 0 to 9 and play either $0.50 or $1. You can win $500 for matching three numbers in a $1 straight play, while box plays, combination plays, pair plays, and instant win options are also available.
- Win 4: This game is similar to Numbers, but you pick four numbers from 0 to 9 instead of three. You can play for $0.50 or $1, and prizes of up to $5,000 are available.
- Take 5: This draw game requires you to choose five numbers from 1 to 39, and it costs $1 per play. You will win a prize if you match two, three, four, or five numbers.
- Quick Draw: You can play this keno-style game every four minutes on a daily basis. Just choose numbers from 1 to 80 and decide if you want to play for $1, $2, $3, $4, $5, or $10, and you can win up to $100,000 via the 10-spot game.
- Pick 10: You can choose 10 numbers from 1 to 80 to play this game. Twenty numbers will be drawn, and you will land the $500,000 jackpot if your 10 numbers are among them.
Scratch-off games
Scratch-off games, also known as scratchcards or scratchers, follow a simple format. You can buy a card and then scratch off the specialized latex ink coating to reveal the results. If a certain number of matching symbols are revealed, you will win a prize.
Best New York Lottery scratch-off games
There are always dozens of different New York scratch-off games in circulation. Formats, prices, and prizes vary, although many of the higher-priced games are basically identical, but they are repackaged under different names.
These are the best scratchers for New Yorkers:
- $300,000,000 Cash Payout: You can win up to $5 million if you play this scratch-off game, which costs $20. The overall odds of winning are 1 in 3.55, which is better than any other scratcher in New York.
- VIP Millions: This $30 scratcher offers 30 different $1 million top prizes. The odds of winning a prize are 1 in 3.59, which is one of the best rates available.
- X Series 200X: You will have the chance to win up to $10 million when you play this game, which has a price of $30. The overall odds of winning are 1 in 3.62.
- Jackpot Fortune: This game also has a top prize of $10 million. Scratchcards cost $30, and the odds of winning are 1 in 3.65.
- Instant Take 5: If you are looking for a lower-cost option, this scratch-off has a price of $1 and a top prize of $5,555. The odds of winning a prize are 1 in 4.69, which is better than other $1 scratchers in New York.
- Win For Life: This $2 scratch-off game offers a top prize of $1,000 per week for the rest of your life. The overall odds of winning a prize are 1 in 3.75.
- Cash X100: This $20 game offers a top prize of $5 million, and additional prizes ranging from $20 to $25,000. Your overall chances of winning are 1 in 3.68.
NY Lottery promotions and events
The NY Lottery has an app called Collect ‘N Win. You can download this app and use it to enter a range of second chance drawing promotions.
Any unsuccessful draw tickets and scratch-offs are eligible. You will receive a symbol at random for each ticket, and you simply need to collect six separate symbols to enter a second chance drawing, with regular prizes of up to $5,000 available.
The NY Lottery also offers short-term promotions at certain times. Examples include promos linked to sports teams, such as the New York Mets and the New York Liberty, and you can find details on the promotions page of the NY Lottery site.
Responsible gambling
Lottery games are a form of gambling. They should be enjoyed in moderation and treated as a form of entertainment, rather than a solution to any financial problems or goals you may have.
The NY Lottery’s responsible gambling page offers tips to help you stay on track. If you are struggling to gamble responsibly, you can call the toll-free helpline on 1-877-8-HOPE-NY for confidential support at any time.
The New York Council on Problem Gambling also offers a range of resources for players in the Empire State. You can find local support centers in your region, you can visit the Know the Odds site for more advice and information, or use one of the buttons below.
NY Lottery FAQ
You can buy NY Lottery tickets online via a courier service such as Jackpocket, Jackpot.com, or Lotto.com. They will send a courier to a licensed retailer to buy a ticket for you. Players can also set up subscriptions for NY Lotto, plus Mega Millions and Cash4Life, via the official New York Lottery site.
Yes, you can play Powerball and Mega Millions in New York. You can buy tickets in-person at a local retailer in your neighborhood, or you can purchase tickets via a courier app or website, such as Jackpocket. Players can buy Mega Millions subscriptions at the official NY Lottery site, but it does not offer Powerball subscriptions.
No, lottery games are not rigged. Lottery providers such as the New York Lottery follow strict procedures to ensure fairness and impartiality. The drawings are overseen by professional auditors, who independently verify the fairness and accuracy of each draw, so you can rest assured that they are not rigged.
Yes, you can actually win money playing the lottery. The New York Lottery paid out more than $4.9 billion in prizes for traditional lottery games in the 2021-22 financial year. New York has also had more national lottery winners than any other state, with more than 40 Mega Millions jackpots and 12 Powerball jackpots as of 2024.
Lottery winnings of up to $600 can be paid into your online account if you register with the New York Lottery site or a service like Jackpocket. Prizes of $601 or higher must be claimed in-person at a local prize claim center or one of the NY Lotery’s customer service centers. You must fill out a claim form and provide your winning ticket and a valid, government-issued ID.
You should schedule a meeting at one of the New York Lottery’s customer service centers if you win a big jackpot. That will allow you to claim your winnings in-person, and a lottery agent can run through your payment options.
Other NY pages
If you’re looking for more information about gambling in New York, consult our pages below.
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